Ribble Adventure: Any Real World Reviews or Action Pics?

[The Cumbrian]

Has anyone on here got a Ribble Adventure, either the 725 or Ti Version?

I'm seriously thinking about getting a shiny new bike, and I've got my eye on either the Ribble Adventure or a Sonder Broken Road. There's lots of information and reviews on the Broken Road, which everyone seems to love, but the only write ups that I've seen for the Ribble have been written by Ribble themselves., and they've also taken all the pics that I've seen.

If you have a Ribble Adventure, what do you think of it? Opinions on the Broken Road would be welcome too.

Cheers, Michael.

[Bearbonesnorm]

I'd love to give you an opinion but after 12 months, I'm still waiting for one to test / review but I will say that having seen the same pictures as everyone else ... they look pretty

[PaulB2]

I've seen one in person and the paintwork is very pretty but I've not seen a single review other than on the Ribble site.

[The Cumbrian]

I'd love to give you an opinion but after 12 months, I'm still waiting for one to test / review but I will say that having seen the same pictures as everyone else ... they look pretty

I'm waiting almost as impatiently as you, I wish they'd get their fingers out and just send you a bike.

I'd originally been thinking about getting a gravel bike, but a Ribble Adventure or Sonder Broken Road will better suit the kind of cycling want to do, as well as give me a more upright riding position. I've seen an Adventure in the flesh in their showroom, and it looks incredible. It's got rigid forks too, which don't seem to be an option on the Broken Road anymore.

[trob6]

I have a Broken Road with prong forks, I just spaced it that way, I bought the forks and took them up on build day.
It rides excellently and is comfy for the long haul, I've only had it since September but have done a few trips on it.
I tested one from Hatersage, costs £40 but they take it off the price if you buy one.
If you get one I would recommend putting a hope bb in from the off the sram dub ones are not great I'm on my second and this one is rumbly now.

[The Cumbrian]

I have a Briken Road with prong forks, I just spaced it that way, I bought the forks and took them up on build day.
It rides excellently and is comfy for the long haul, I've only had it since September but have done a few trips on it.
I tested one from Hatersage, costs £40 but they take it off the price if you buy one.
If you get one I would recommend putting a hope bb in from the off the sram dub ones are not great I'm on my second and this one is rumbly now.

Do you know much clearance has the Broken Road has got for 29er wheels? Stu reviewed the Teravail Cumberland tyres a while back and they seem ideal for the sort of riding I'm doing. They're 2.6" wide though, so the clearance might be a bit tight.

[ssnowman]

I'd love to give you an opinion but after 12 months, I'm still waiting for one to test / review but I will say that having seen the same pictures as everyone else ... they look pretty

I'm waiting almost as impatiently as you, I wish they'd get their fingers out and just send you a bike.

I'd originally been thinking about getting a gravel bike, but a Ribble Adventure or Sonder Broken Road will better suit the kind of cycling want to do, as well as give me a more upright riding position. I've seen an Adventure in the flesh in their showroom, and it looks incredible. It's got rigid forks too, which don't seem to be an option on the Broken Road anymore.

I spent a long time researching my latest bike including putting all the potentials on a spreadsheet (I know, I'm a saddo), before buying a Broken Road. I really fancied a gravel bike, but the more I looked into it, the more I realised that the gearing is just too high for proper off road stuff.

The only gravel bike that came close was the Mason ISO, but as much as I liked it, I couldn't justify paying a hefty premium over the Sonder.

Based on spec, weight and gearing, I kept coming back to the Broken Road. The other bikes that came close were the Brother Big Bro and the Veloheld Iron. With regard to the Ribble bikes, it's only with the GX Eagle that the gearing is low enough for what I wanted and the ti version is substantially more expensive than Sonder's offering.

[trob6]

I have a Briken Road with prong forks, I just spaced it that way, I bought the forks and took them up on build day.
It rides excellently and is comfy for the long haul, I've only had it since September but have done a few trips on it.
I tested one from Hatersage, costs £40 but they take it off the price if you buy one.
If you get one I would recommend putting a hope bb in from the off the sram dub ones are not great I'm on my second and this one is rumbly now.

Do you know much clearance has the Broken Road has got for 29er wheels? Stu reviewed the Teravail Cumberland tyres a while back and they seem ideal for the sort of riding I'm doing. They're 2.6" wide though, so the clearance might be a bit tight.

I tried both wheelsets on the demo bike , 650b plus and 29er, stood next to each they are almost the same diameter , the 650 being a few mm smaller but I found the 650 to roll better and was more comfortable, I did the same loop twice as a fair comparison so I went with the 650 which has 2.8 inch tyres on , clearance is 13mm on the forks, 15mm on the seat stays, 10mm on the non drive side chain stay and 13mm on the drive side.

[The Cumbrian]

Thanks for that. I still have a preference for 29ers, but write ups like that are the kind of thing that makes me think of alternatives.

Cheers, Michael.

[99percentchimp]

Frame forks look great... like the Ti version and could swap over most of the parts from my older (steep head angled) Ti 29er with maybe a second 650b+ wheel set in the future. How come you can't get one to review Stu... do they not send them out easily to anyone (maybe if there are no other review on the web)?

[Bearbonesnorm]

How come you can't get one to review Stu... do they not send them out easily to anyone (maybe if there are no other review on the web)?

I don't really know Mark. I contacted them last year when the models were first announced. They said as soon as they arrived, they'd send one over, even asked what spec I'd like. While we were waiting I did a Q&A piece with the lad who designed them. I got told a couple of months later that there was a delay and it'd possibly be another month before they arrived. When I knew that had arrived in the country I gave them a gentle reminder and was told it'd be sorted. Another reminder followed, more promises ensued but nowt ever happened ... I kinda gave up around that point.

[The Cumbrian]

I really think that Ribble are missing a trick here by not sending you a bike for review. I'm sure that I'm not the only one who's reticent about spending a wedge of cash based on a ride around the car park outside their showroom.

[Bearbonesnorm]

I really think that Ribble are missing a trick here by not sending you a bike for review. I'm sure that I'm not the only one who's reticent about spending a wedge of cash based on a ride around the car park outside their showroom.

Perhaps but I'll only ask a couple of times and after that it begins to feel like I'm mithering and I don't really do mithering. I should say, those companies who do send things for review are often surprised by the results - the reviews see a lot more traffic than people might think

[99percentchimp]

How come you can't get one to review Stu... do they not send them out easily to anyone (maybe if there are no other review on the web)?

I don't really know Mark. I contacted them last year when the models were first announced. They said as soon as they arrived, they'd send one over, even asked what spec I'd like. While we were waiting I did a Q&A piece with the lad who designed them. I got told a couple of months later that there was a delay and it'd possibly be another month before they arrived. When I knew that had arrived in the country I gave them a gentle reminder and was told it'd be sorted. Another reminder followed, more promises ensued but nowt ever happened ... I kinda gave up around that point.

Just read your Q&A Stu - thanks for that... looks like a really interesting frame and I like the beefy gravel bike potential here... so more offroad than road focus and I'd run it 2x XT with Jones Bars off the old 29er.
Not seen their Jones copies before either.

[The Cumbrian]

[/quote]
Just read your Q&A Stu - thanks for that... looks like a really interesting frame and I like the beefy gravel bike potential here... so more offroad than road focus and I'd run it 2x XT with Jones Bars off the old 29er.
Not seen their Jones copies before either.
[/quote]

That's exactly what I'm thinking of too.

[99percentchimp]

Just read your Q&A Stu - thanks for that... looks like a really interesting frame and I like the beefy gravel bike potential here... so more offroad than road focus and I'd run it 2x XT with Jones Bars off the old 29er.
Not seen their Jones copies before either.

That's exactly what I'm thinking of too.

Can you build one and 'review' it for me please Michael... derisk my potential purchase

[The Cumbrian]

I might have to...

[99percentchimp]

I might have to...

Ta very much

[FLV]

Anyone buy one yet then?

[PaulB2]

The complete lack of reviews has moved it down on my list - that and until things get more back to normal and I can go back into the office, I can't go into the ribble showroom to ask for a testride (if they even do them)

[jameso]

Vapourware?

[PaulB2]

Vapourware?

They do physically exist, or at least samples do, since I saw one in the showroom in Brum.

[jameso]

Vapourware?

They do physically exist, or at least samples do, since I saw one in the showroom in Brum.

That's the sort of thing I was getting at, samples are one thing, really fast/easy to get a basic sample made up but tested, produced and delivered can be a year or so later and if there were any issues on testing or factory stage, add another 6-12 months esp. if there's other things going on or the project isn't the priority for the brand. Things can move much faster but they need focus to do so. No comment on Ribble here, just speculating in the absence of info. Plus, it's just a common marketing tactic to try to get people holding off buying a competitor's product, esp from a brand launching or re-launching.

[PaulB2]

I checked back through my photos and I saw it in the showroom in November 2018!

[FLV]

I was prompted as I am sure I have seen one on intagram in use. Ti one, covered in bikepacking bags.

I'll try to find it again.

Edit: It wasnt a ribble, twas this

http://www.chirubikes.com/frames-kegeti